Am not a political person but I needed to see for myself what is really happening, so I joined the protesters for a few hours this evening. As I was walking out of the Admiralty MTR station, the staff announced that no more trains would be stopping at that station from then on. I was alone, not knowing where to stand (since there were no signs around), eventually picking a spot outside of Admiralty Center. The crowd (clearly unarmed) was calm and helpful towards each other. Most were setting up first aid stations, gathering supplies or passing out food. I spoke with a few students and an Australian living in HK who taught me how to protect myself if tear gas and pepper spray were launched, as they had experienced it for the first time this afternoon. When asked why he came out for the whole day, the Australian told me hes been living in HK for four years and loves this place. Throughout the night, the crowd cheered for students who left for medical reasons. A mysterious drone appeared a few times (my first time seeing one!) When finally confronted with the police, the crowd chanted slogans and sang songs by Beyond; they were spirited but not agitated. The polices stance also seemed to soften. A while later, feeling knackered, I left the protest and headed home. As I was walking back to Central thinking/ wishing that perhaps the government would leave the protesters alone tonight, I saw an army of fully weaponized police blocking the road. Before long, I also smelled the tear gas, of which even the residual amount left in the air was pungent and uncomfortable. Imagine what itd feel like to be targeted in short distance! I later on found out that the gas was finally unleashed at the location where I was. Occupy Central is not an effective way to ask for a reform but its a clear sign that people are more than fed up. Nevertheless I strongly disagree with how the HK government is handling the situation. The violent response is unnecessary; there must be a better and more civilized solution to address public demands and protests. I do feel for the police however; they are just pawns, caught between a rock and a hard place, as a result of an incompetent government/ leader. There were many firsts for me tonight but the first that hit me the most was my genuine fear for HK peoples future.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 18:07:15 +0000
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